Plant support frame and method and kit for making same

Abstract

A bracing member for a plant support frame. In embodiments the bracing member comprises a body portion defining a perimeter; an opening provided within the body portion which is sized and dimensioned to receive a plant there through; and a plurality of radically oriented circumferential holes extending through the body portion. The holes being sized to accept a cooperating fastener for securing a support rod to the bracing member for forming the plant support frame. The different bracing members of a plant support frame are dimensioned for storage in a flat concentric arrangement whereby the circumferential holes of an inner bracing member align with the circumferential holes of an outer bracing member for receiving a locking pin there through for securing different bracing members together.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A bracing member for forming, together with suitable support rods, a plant support frame, the bracing member comprising:
 a body portion defining a perimeter; 
 an opening provided within said body portion and being surrounded by said perimeter; said opening being sized and dimensioned to receive a plant there through; and 
 a plurality of radially oriented circumferential holes extending through the body portion, said holes being sized to accept a cooperating fastener for selectively securing a support rod to an external circumference of the bracing member or an internal circumference of the bracing member, for forming a first configuration of the plant support frame; 
 wherein a spacing between the circumferential holes follows a pattern which allows the circumferential holes of an inner bracing member to be aligned with the circumferential holes of an outer bracing member when the inner bracing member and the outer bracing member are arranged concentrically in a second configuration of the plant support frame, the circumferential holes of the inner bracing member and the outer bracing member for securing the first bracing member and the second bracing member together using anchor pins insertable through the aligned circumferential holes when the bracing members are stored in a flat concentric arrangement of the second configuration of the plant support frame. 
 
     
     
       2. The bracing member according to  claim 1  wherein said bracing member comprises a removable segment. 
     
     
       3. The bracing member according to  claim 1  wherein said bracing member comprises said fastener. 
     
     
       4. The bracing member according to  claim 1  wherein said fastener is a U-bolt. 
     
     
       5. The bracing member according to  claim 2  wherein said fastener is a screw clamp, and said screw clamp comprises at least one gripping surface able to adopt an angle of between about 5 degrees and 85 degrees to a plane of said bracing member. 
     
     
       6. The bracing member according to  claim 1 , wherein the body portion defines an open perimeter. 
     
     
       7. The bracing member of  claim 1  wherein the body portion defines a closed perimeter. 
     
     
       8. The bracing member of  claim 1  wherein a shape of the bracing member is selected from the group consisting of: a circle, a hoop, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a pentagon, an hexagon, a heptagon, an octagon, a nonagon, and a decagon. 
     
     
       9. The bracing member according to  claim 1  wherein said bracing member is secured to the support rod using a friction force resulting from a pressure applied by the cooperating fastener onto a surface of contact of the bracing member with the support rod. 
     
     
       10. A kit for a plant support frame, said kit comprising at least a first bracing member and a second bracing member, each bracing member comprising:
 a body portion defining a perimeter; 
 an opening provided within said body portion and being surrounded by said perimeter; said opening being sized and dimensioned to receive a plant there through; and 
 a plurality of radially oriented circumferential holes extending through the body portion, said holes being sized to accept a cooperating fastener for selectively securing a support rod to an external circumference of the bracing member or an internal circumference of the bracing member, for forming a first configuration of the plant support frame; 
 wherein a spacing between the circumferential holes follows a pattern which allows the circumferential holes of an inner bracing member to be aligned with the circumferential holes of an outer bracing member when the inner bracing member and the outer bracing member are arranged concentrically in a second configuration of the plant support frame, the circumferential holes of the inner bracing member and the outer bracing member for securing the first bracing member and the second bracing member together using anchor pins insertable through the aligned circumferential holes when the bracing members are stored in a flat concentric arrangement of the second configuration of the plant support frame. 
 
     
     
       11. The kit according to  claim 10  wherein said kit further comprises a plurality of cooperating fasteners for fastening said bracing members to suitably sized support rod. 
     
     
       12. The kit according to  claim 11  wherein at least one of said bracing members comprises a removable segment. 
     
     
       13. The kit according to  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of the support rod. 
     
     
       14. The kit of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second bracing members have similar shapes and different dimensions, wherein the second bracing member is dimensioned to fit within the opening of the first bracing member for storage in the flat concentric arrangement. 
     
     
       15. The kit of  claim 10 , wherein the body portion of at least one of the first bracing member and the second bracing member defines an open perimeter. 
     
     
       16. The kit according to  claim 10  wherein at least one of said bracing members is secured to the support rod using a friction force resulting from a pressure applied by the cooperating fastener onto a surface of contact of the at least one of said bracing members with the support rod.